1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a connector for multiple pairs of telecommunication wires, and more particularly to pluggable connectors for terminating multiple wire pairs and for connecting and disconnecting the connectors without exposing the wire-contact junctions, and for tapping into existing modular telephone cable splices to provide bridge transfer capabilities without service interruption.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Modular splicing for multiwire cable is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,779, assigned to the assignee of the present application, which patent discloses a three layer splicing module usually including a base member, at least one body member, and a cover member. The body member consists of upper and lower segments to capture the contact elements, and the segments are welded together. Wires were placed in the transverse grooves in the base and in the grooves of the upper segment to make a splice. A cover is then placed over the upper surface of the upper segment. A splicing module is designed to splice corresponding pairs of wires in two cables. Additional connections to the spliced pairs can be made by placing another body member over the upper segment. To do this, the contacts of the next segment make another connection to the same wire in the upper segment then a third set of wires are joined in the upper segment of the second body member. In one embodiment the contacts have the U-connector for making the spring compression reserve, insulation displacement connection, an IDC, to the wire, and the U-connectors extend from one surface of the segment, and the other end of the contact is folded to make frictional locking engagement with another folded contact end, which other contact has its opposite end extending from the other segment and connected to a wire from another cable, see the description of FIG. 15 on column 5 lines 2-23, of this patent. Pressing the two segments together then causes the folded ends of the contacts to spring past each other, locking the two segments together and providing permanent electrical contact between the contact elements. In other aspects the module is the same as first described. U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,705 is directed to a similar connector and is directed solely to a splicing connector. This patent issued in March, 1976 and reflected improvements in the size of the connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,635, issued Nov. 13, 1973, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,158, issued Dec. 31, 1974, describe a splice connector with the added feature of an optional bridge connector for tapping into the splice. The bridge connector illustrated includes a double-ended slotted metallic contact element, one end of which extends through slots in the splicing module to make gripping contact with the narrow waist of the contact of the splicing module.
A further patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,985, was issued in 1981, which discloses the Bell Telephone Laboratories wire splice module known commercially as the "710 Connector", which is a modular wire splicing connector with wire retaining members similar to the retainers used on the base of the connector of the present invention. Related patents include U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,158 (Devices for Making Electrical Connections; Henn, et al.) issued in December, 1974 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,264.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,312 (Modular Connector for Connecting Groups of Wires) issued in November, 1978 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,815 (Means for Cable Section and Equipment Transfer Without Service Interruption) issued in July, 1979. These patents disclose stackable connectors having contacts which include a wire receiving slot and a receptacle portion. The contacts are received in a body and extend between the faces thereof permitting the body with the wires joined to the wire receiving portions of the contacts to be mated at either face with another similar body. Contact with another module has to be made however adjacent the junction to a wire and this often requires further insulation displacement. This connector structure also requires exposing the wire contact junctions for splicing and plugging on additional modules.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,285,563 (Cable Connector and Cap Shoe Therefore), issued in August, 1981, discloses equipment and methods which allow testing and working transfers of a modified 710 connector. The spring loaded pins which were to be insertable into the module were not as reliable to maintain service while performing the bridge transfer function.
Commercially available connectors also include the Super Mate pluggable module, sold by the assignee of this application, which utilizes a strip with contacts to make an insulation displacement connection with the wire and the other end of the pluggable contact is twisted 90.degree. to afford contact with a leg of another bifurcated U element adapted to receive another wire. Again, the separation of the elements to disconnect any of the spliced wires, leaves a set of wires and the junction with the contact element exposed.
These prior art devices, if they provide a stackable feature or a pluggable feature, when plugging to another module with an additional set of wires, includes a second connection to the same set of wires, or a connection to a leg of another contact element which is often covered with the wire insulation displaced by the wire connection. In either event this requires exposing the junction of the wire and contact to make an additional connection to the wires. Further, when unplugging one set of wires from another, to disconnect a module in a stack, there is the need to expose the wire-contact junctions, developing the opportunity for one or more junctions to become lost and causing any encapsulating grease to be displaced from the junction.
The present invention, together with the fact that the connector modules are usable with a bridge adapter to bridge to an existing splice module, provides an improved splicing structure and one which is usable with existing splicing fixtures.